oljett

I'm not much of a knitter, although my mom is pretty amazing at it so you'd think there should be some knitty genes in me.. But since I'm a bit of a fiber addict, all those gorgeous yarns tend to draw me in every now and then.

This is the Oljett Toque by Jenny Gordy. 

Now as my man very blatantly pointed out to me, I don't wear hats. (I'm usually fidgeting with, complaining about or criticizing whatever's on my head), but I really liked the simplicity of the style and the slouchy, relaxed fit. This was my kind of hat!

So I bought the pattern and yarn then proceeded to stash it away for over half a year. It wasn't until fate led me to this lady (blogger, sewist, knitter and hat maker extraordinaire) who nudged me with some friendly words of encouragement, that I decided to go forth and actually make this hat (thanks again Kate :)) And I just might wear this one!

For this version (and there will be many more!) I pretty much copied the colour scheme from Jenny's blog. I even got my East coast dwelling sister to bring over some of the elusive Brooklyn Tweeds yarn that was recommended but is pretty much impossible to find on this side of the continent. This 'test' version, however, was made with Louet Gems 100% merino wool (superwash) in pure white and pewter (two strands held together) which I purchased at my local yarn shop. I was actually expecting more of a speckled look but I guess however way I held my yarn, it turned out more patchy then speckley. I actually like how this looks and think it's kind of fun to look for 'pictures' in the pattern (I see the face of a small dog, perhaps a schnauzer, in the above picture :))

I pretty much followed the pattern without any changes except for leaving off the little loopy thing at the top which is actually really cute and I should add it later on. I just wanted to finish my hat in time for the windy ferry ride I was going on last week.  

So now, as the freezy cold weather and rain seem to have let up and spring has finally arrived on the West coast, I seem to be a wee bit addicted to knitting hats. And after seeing Kate's Jul, I promptly went out and bought that pattern and more yarn (super soft alpaca this time!) and cast on for another hat. 

melissa x

sleeveless tova

This is my second time sewing the Wiksten Tova, the first, which I'm realizing now, I never actually blogged about (but if you want to check it out, it's over here). It's a fantastic pattern and overall, a pretty quick and simple project to sew up. I had finished this sleeveless version about a month ago, but didn't get around to taking pictures until a couple of weeks ago. And then, well, I got side-tracked and blah blah blah... So anyways, here it is.

 

I used an off-white, light-weight fabric I bought at a fill-a-bag event put on by Our Social Fabric (I had also meant to do a post about this not-for-profit organization whose goal is to keep fabrics out of landfills, but I never did get around to it. If you're interested, Tasia of Sewaholic did a great post about it over here.) I thought it was cotton at first, but it doesn't seem to wrinkle very much so I'm now thinking it's a blend of some sort (I haven't ventured into any burn-tests to figure that out though). Anyways, it cost next to nothing and has the subtle stripes throughout it so I thought it would make a sweet tunic top. Although I made this Tova in the dress length, the sheerness of the fabric pretty much limits me to wearing it as a tunic over leggings or skinnies and a tank, which is pretty much my daily 'uniform' anyways :)

 

The overall construction of this dress/tunic was very simple, especially having left off the sleeves which aren't all that difficult, but a bit finicky with the gathering and all. To finish the arm holes in this version, I  just used the bias binding technique from the Wikstan Tank pattern which worked perfectly well. The trickiest part of the body is the front yoke which, again, isn't all that difficult if you just sew slowly and carefully when working around the corners. 

 

I made this in the size large (same as my flannel Tova) and didn't do any adjustments to the pattern other than omitting the sleeves. I love how it fits and looks from the front, but am still having issues with the back which is looking pretty 'tenty' (I didn't manage to get a picture of the back yet but trust me, it's not very flattering). I'm thinking I need to add some darts or cinching or something. 

Anyways, I've been wanting to learn more about tailoring and pattern alterations, so I decided to sign up for this pattern fitting course through Craftsy. (They lured me in with the 'we miss you' super promo deal so I actually also signed up for this 'pattern drafting from ready-to-wear' course which I'm pretty excited about!) I also took out this book from the library which I haven't had a chance to really read through yet, but has a nice section on adjusting patterns to your body type. If anyone knows of any other good books or resources for altering patterns or tailoring, please share! I have heard that this Palmer/Pletsch book is great, but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. 

melissa x

wiksten tank #3

So about a month or so ago, I made myself another Wiksten Tank out of 'good fabric' (and not cheapo wearable muslin fabric). I used a beautiful Lecien Lawn (Memoire a Paris) fabric in a berry and cream colourway I picked up at Spool of Thread. Again I attempted to modify the body a bit (previous tanks here and here) so that it would be roomy enough in the chest but not too tenty around the waist. I lowered the armhole a bit and adjusted the side seams by measuring 1 1/2" in from the hem and drew a diagonal line to the edge of the armhole. Then I measured approx 1" from the armhole and drew another diagonal line to the edge of the hem as well. So when I followed/sewed the outer line, the side seam curved in a bit around the waistline but then out again at the hem. I don't even know if this makes sense to anyone but I'm writing it in here because the result actually worked for me and I'm hoping to recreate this again using these notes.

I took a few pictures of the tank when I finished it but didn't write up a post because I wanted to get a picture of me wearing it so I could show the difference in fit from my previous tanks. But alas and alack, it was not meant to be. Although I've been wearing the tank quite a bit lately, I didn't take any pictures and today, my washing machine decided to take a big-ass bite out of it :(

Ah well, I guess it's on to #4 then.

x melissa

oh hello..

Whoa! I just realized it's been almost a month since I last posted anything here! Crazy! It's not like I've forgotten about this poor little blog of mine.. I kept thinking of things I wanted to post about and share on here but just never got around to writing it all out. It's been a busy month I think, and I've actually been doing a lot of sewing, some for friends, some as donations, but mostly for myself. Here's what I've been working on:

I completed two blocks (of nine) for my Swoon quilt! I'm doing this at a rather slow pace but totally loving the process. Because each block is so big, it's like nine mini quilts in one!

I made another Wiksten Tank muslin (wearable of course) trying to adjust the size a bit. I made the top part one size bigger than the first one I made and the bottom part the same as the first. Although I still love and rave about this pattern, I think I can still do a bit of tweaking on the fit to match my body type. I think really what I need to do is add some mini darts and possibly lower/widen the armhole (is this called the armscye still when it's a sleeveless top?) a bit on the original size. And I'm sure this is old news now, but Jenny now offers her two amazingly awesome patterns as PDF downloads! That means no more waiting for a restock of patterns, and no more shipping fees. Just instant gratification!

I've also been working on a muslin for the Sewaholic Crescent Skirt and have been following this old sew-along which is so fabulously detailed and easy to follow. I have completed my muslin in, well, a rather drab, worn out muslin fabric so I won't  show a picture of me wearing it. I'll be sewing up the 'real' skirt in a lightweight denim fabric for a look that was inspired by this version.

Finally, I have also started sewing up a 'dottie angel-esque' frock from this sweet vintage pattern I bought off Etsy. I'm hoping to have it completed for when I head out to the dottie angel workshop in Seattle in just over three weeks (I AM SO CRAZY EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!)

And just for fun, check out this sweet little scrap pack Laura of Charm Stitch sent me! She was cleaning out her sewing space (something I've actually been doing as well) and she was offering out some little fabric scrap packs for free! I was totally stunned to find such wonderful scraps included in this pack! Look at those mermaids! I've wanted those mermaids forEVER! and lots of other Heather Ross, Nani Iro, and Amy Butler scraps. Thanks so much Laura!!

And aside from non-sleeping children, sunny days mixed with random snowfalls/hail storms, spring break, spring cleaning/organizing, sewing with good friends and many trips to the thrift stores and a fabulous flea market, that pretty much sums up what I've been up to this past month. Hopefully I'll be back here before another month passes. I miss this space and want to thank you all for continuing to visit and read my ramblings :) What have you been up to? What have you been sewing/crafting/creating? 

Wiksten Tank muslin

Sewing Project #1 - Wiksten Tank Top, a hand-drawn sewing pattern by Jenny Gordy. (Full disclaimer here that this is a pretty pricey pattern. But in my opinion, especially after sewing it up, it's totally worth it! I love the cut and the simplicity of it and can definitely see myself making many more of these tops and dresses in a bazillion different fabrics.)

Fabric - Cotton poplin (for my test-run, wearable muslin)

Inspiration - here, here and here (actually, I think I pretty much love most versions I've seen so far. The dress version, included in the pattern, is also super cute and is definitely on my to-do list)

I'm thinking this might be one of the quickest, most satisfying sewing projects I've come across so far! (Sorry about the bad, glaring lighting in these pictures. I'm going to add 'Take Better Pictures' in my list of goals for 2012.)

I'm not sure if this actually qualifies as a muslin as I made it complete with all the little details so it's absolutely wearable. That's one of my problems with doing up muslins (other than just being lazy). It  feels like it's a waste of fabric, which I know deep in my heart it really isn't because it could prevent total disaster with your good fabric. (There's actually a great post about when to sew up a muslin over here.) So, determined to do a 'test run' to make sure the sizing was ok, I decided to use some inexpensive fabric I had lying around in my stash. I used a cream coloured cotton poplin with tiny grayish dots that I got on sale at Fabricland (maybe $6/meter..), and aside from a few, very minor fitting issues, I really do love how this turned out!

I wasn't sure if I liked how much the tank flared at the bottom as it looked to me to be a little 'tent-y'. I think this might be due to the fact that I have pretty small hips for my size. My body measurements are all about a size medium, edging on a large, but my hips measure a size small. I'm also pretty sure it just has to do with how this particular fabric drapes. But after wearing the tank out yesterday (and the day before..), I've decided I like the roominess in the body so I'm going to keep it as is. I would definitely still like to try this with a softer, more flow-y fabric though, and I think the nani IRO double gauze I have lined up for my 'good' version of this tank will drape a bit nicer. My other issue was how the fabric 'sat up' at the back neck. Again, pretty sure this has more to do with my body than with the pattern. I think I hunch a bit (or maybe a lot!) and I have a bit of a strange curve at the base of my neck. I might try taking in the back a bit to close the gap.

And this is how I'll be wearing this tank for the next 5 months or so.. wrapped up on a chunky wool sweater and boots! Next up, the 'good' version of the Wiksten tank in Nani IRO Saaaa Saaa..